5 French animation features (productions or co-productions) feature in the Annecy Festival feature competition. We checked the latest (and probably the last) animation feature by Jean-François Laguionie, 'A Boat in the Garden' (Slocum et moi), a historical family adventure between 1895 US and 1950s France.

The Cannes-premiering 'Flow' by Gints Zilbalodis is also a French co-production (via Sacrebleu Productions). We also see films by Vincent Paronnaud (the co-director of 'Persepolis') with 'Into the Wonderwoods' 80-minute family film. Oscar-winner Michel Hazanavicious (The Artist) competes with the 2D animation drama 'The Most Precious of Cargoes'.

Two stop-motion features are singled out. The sophomore feature 'Sauvages' by the Swiss Claude Barras (My Life As A Zucchini) describes a refuge and environmental adventure in Borneo through the eyes of two children.

Adam Elliot (Mary and Max) returns with 'Memoirs of A Snail'. The 94-minute film tells the story of two twins, Grace and Gilbert, who have to be forcibly separated after their paraplegic (and alcoholic) father passes away.

Memoir of A Snail

Japan and the anime terrain is duly represented at the Annecy Festival with 4 films overall. TV and film director Naoko Yamada makes the teenager-targeted 'The Colors Within'. Studio Ghibli veteran Yoshiyuki Momose (animating for Grave of the Fireflies, Porco Rosso) presents his directorial effort 'The Imaginary' about a boy no one can see.

There is a rock/hippie feeling in Maria Trenor's Spanish/Polish co-production 'Rock Bottom' a love story in the 70s tuned to Robert Wyatt's music.

Official Competition

• Ghost Cat Anzu by Yoko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita   / Produced by: Shin-Ei Animation Co., Ltd, Miyu Productions / Japan, France
• Into the Wonderwoods (Angelo dans la forêt mystérieuse) by Vincent Paronnaud (Winshluss), Alexis Ducord / Produced by: Je Suis Bien Content, Gao Shan Pictures, ZEILT productions, Amopix, EV.L Prod, France 3 Cinéma / France, Luxembourg
• Flow by Gints Zilbalodis   /Produced by: Dream Well Studio, Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions / Latvia, Belgium, France
• The Colors Within (KIMINOIRO) by Naoko Yamada   /Produced by: STORY inc., Science SARU Inc. / Japan
• Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (Madogiwa no Totto-chan) by Shinnosuke Yakuwa    / Produced by: Shin-Ei Animation Co., Ltd / Japan
• Memoir of a Snail by Adam Elliot   /Produced by: Arenamedia / Australia 
•  Rock Bottom by María Trénor   /Produced by: Alba Sotorra, Jaibo Films, GS Animation / Spain, Poland
• Sauvages by Claude Barras   / Produced by: Nadasdy Film, Haut et Court, Panique ! / Switzerland
• A Boat in the Garden (Slocum et moi) by Jean-François Laguionie   / Produced by: JPL Films, Melusine Productions/Studio 352 / France
• The Imaginary by Yoshiyuki Momose     / Produced by: Studio Ponoc Inc. / Japan
• The Storm by Busifan   /Produced by: CMC Pictures China / China
• The Most Precious of Cargoes by Michel Hazanavicius   / Production: Ex Nihilo, Les Compagnons du Cinéma, Les Films du Fleuve, StudioCanal / Belgium, France

Sauvages

The Colors Within

The Contrechamp competition is usually reserved for more arthouse/hybrid animation docs and everything in between. This year we have the San Sebastian-premiered 'Sultana's Dream by Isabel Herguera; the animation doc 'Pelican Blue' by László Csáki, detailing the fate of a real travel forgery by young Hungarians immediately after the 1989 Soviet Union collapse; and the Rotterdam-premiered The Missing by Carl Joseph Papa (our review).

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Contrechamp Competition

• Sultana’s Dream (El sueño de la sultana) by Isabel Herguera   / Produced by: Abano Producións S.L., Fabian&Fred GmbH / Spain
• Gill by Ahn Jae-huun   / Produced by: Studio Meditation With a Pencil / South Korea
• The Missing (Iti Mapukpukaw) by Carl Joseph Papa   / Produced by: Project 8 Projects / Philippines
• Living Large by Kristina Dufkova    / Produced by: Barletta Productions / Czech Republic
• Black Butterflies (Mariposas negras) by David Baute   / Produced by: Ikiru Films, S.L., Tinglado Film, Anangu Grup, Tunche Films / Spain, Panama
• Our Crazy Love by Nelson Botter Jr.  - Produced by: Tortuga Studios / Brazil
• Pelikan Blue by László Csáki ´  - Produced by: Umbrella Collective / Hungary
• Journey of Shadows (Reise der Schatten) by Yves Netzhammer  / Produced by: Freihändler Filmproduktion GmbH, Liechti Filmproduktion GmbH / Switzerland
• Sunburnt Unicorn by Nick Johnson   / Produced by: 2448223 Alberta Ltd., New Machine Studios Inc., Squid Brain Studios Inc. / Canada
• The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe by Gō Koga   / Produced by: Toei Animation Co., Ltd / Japan
• The Glassworker by Usman Riaz    / Produced by: Mano Animation Studios / Pakistan 

Pelican Blue

The Annecy Festival will take place from 9 to 15 June in Annecy, France.

(cover image: A Boat In The Garden)